One of the five serials in the original series that does not feature the TARDIS.
Script editor Robert Holmes was keen to change the format of Doctor Who (1963) under his predecessors, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks, who made three six-parters and two four-parters for their last three seasons. Holmes wanted to reduce the number of six-parters to just one a season, so this two-parter was created to be made entirely on location, while The Ark in Space: Part One (1975) was a four-parter made entirely in a studio. Both serials shared the same director, Rodney Bennett. This made The Sontaran Experiment the first two-part Doctor Who (1963) serial since The Powerful Enemy (1965) and the last until Black Orchid: Part One (1982).
While filming the scene in which the Sontaran hits the Doctor, Tom Baker slipped and broke his collarbone. According to Elisabeth Sladen, she heard something crack when Baker landed on the ground, and realized a moment later that he was injured. Producer Philip Hinchcliffe and production designer Roger Murray-Leach brought him to the nearest hospital. Hinchcliffe feared that he had to recast Baker, until he got the relieving news that the injury wasn't really serious. Terry Walsh was brought in as a double for Baker for certain scenes.
This episode takes place on Earth in 16087.
Many of Styre's torture devices were originally medieval in nature.